Phillips exits early with sore left wrist

Feeling lingering pain from being hit by pitch Saturday

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

CINCINNATI -- Another day, another injury in the Reds lineup.

Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips exited Thursday's 2-1 win vs. the Giants in the third inning because of a sore left wrist. Phillips was lifted for pinch-hitter Drew Sutton in the bottom of the third. Sutton remained in the game at second base.

"Before the game, he said, 'I don't know if I can go. I will do what I can,'" Reds manager Dusty Baker said of Phillips. "Then he took those swings off of [Giants starter Matt] Cain. I could see him wincing and could tell he was in pain. He's day-to-day, and hopefully he will be back [Friday]."

The Reds open a three-game series on Friday in Pittsburgh.

During a loss to the Nationals on Saturday, Phillips was hit on the same wrist by a J.D. Martin fastball and came out of the game. X-rays were negative but Phillips did not play on Sunday. He played with the soreness the previous two games.

"I couldn't hold the bat on my bottom hand today," Phillips said. "Maybe it was because we had an early game today, it couldn't take its time to heal. It swelled up. It's been bothering me for a while. I was feeling it a little bit yesterday and today I was feeling it a lot. If it was a night game, I would have been able to play the whole game."

Phillips, who was 0-for-1 with a fly out vs. San Francisco, is batting .260 with 17 home runs and a team-leading 75 RBIs. He hoped to be in the lineup vs. the Pirates.

"If I keep on icing it, I should be," Phillips said. "I tried to play today, so why not try tomorrow?"

Cincinnati's lineup has been depleted by injuries all season. This week alone, center fielder Willy Taveras went on the disabled list with a right quadriceps strain and Johnny Cueto went on the DL because of right shoulder inflammation. First baseman Joey Votto exited Wednesday's game in the first inning with blurred vision.

"I hate losing those guys, especially in the middle of the lineup," Baker said of Votto and Phillips. "Those guys are most of our offense at this point. Hopefully we will get [Phillips] back in Pittsburgh."

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.